Nazi Bombs, Torpedo Heads and Naval Mines: How Marine Life Flourishes on Abandoned Weapons

In the slightly salty sea off the Germany's coast lies a graveyard of World War II explosives, torpedo heads and naval mines. Discarded from vessels at the end of the second world war and left behind, thousands weapons have become matted together over the years. They create a rusting blanket on the shallow, muddy seafloor of the Lübeck Bay in the western part of the Baltic.

Over the years, the Nazi arsenal was overlooked and forgotten about. A growing number of tourists flocked to the coastal areas and calm waters for water sports, kite surfing and entertainment venues. Beneath the surface, the weapons decayed.

Researchers thought to see a lifeless zone, with no organisms because it was all toxic, explains the lead researcher.

When the team went looking to see what they were affecting to the marine environment, researchers expected to see a lifeless zone, with nothing living there because it was all poisoned, explains Andrey Vedenin.

What they found surprised them. Vedenin recalls his scientists exclaiming in amazement when the submersible first transmitted footage. That moment was a memorable occasion, he notes.

Numerous of ocean life had made their homes among the munitions, forming a regenerated habitat richer than the sea floor nearby.

This ocean community was proof to the resilience of marine life. It is actually surprising how much life we find in areas that are expected to be hazardous and dangerous, he says.

In excess of 40 starfish had gathered on to one exposed piece of TNT. They were dwelling on steel casings, detonator compartments and transport cases just centimetres from its explosive filling. Fish, crustaceans, sea anemones and bivalves were all discovered on the old munitions. You could compare it with a reef ecosystem in terms of the amount of fauna that was present, notes Vedenin.

Surprising Creature Concentration

An mean of more than 40,000 creatures were dwelling on every meter squared of the explosives, scientists reported in their research on the discovery. The surrounding area was much poorer in life, with only 8,000 individuals on every meter squared.

It is surprising that items that are meant to eliminate all life are hosting so much marine organisms, says Vedenin. It's evident how the natural world evolves after a major disaster such as the second world war and how, in certain respects, life establishes itself to the most hazardous locations.

Artificial Structures as Ocean Environments

Artificial structures such as sunken vessels, offshore windfarms, drilling platforms and undersea pipes can provide replacements, compensating for some of the removed marine environment. This study demonstrates that weapons could be similarly positive – the bloom of life on those in the Bay of Lübeck is expected to be found in other locations.

Between 1946 and 1948, 1.6 million tons of arms were dumped off the German coast. Numerous of people placed them in boats; a portion were deposited in designated sites, others just discarded at sea during transport. This is the first time scientists have studied how ocean organisms has responded.

Worldwide Examples of Ocean Adaptation

• In the US, retired oil and gas structures have turned into marine habitats
• Sunken ships from the World War I have become homes for marine life along the Potomac River in Maryland
• Military vehicle parts that have become habitat to reef-building organisms off Asan in the Pacific island

These places become even more important for wildlife as the oceans are increasingly stripped by fishing, bottom trawling and boat mooring. Sunken ships and munitions areas practically act as sanctuaries – they are not official reserves, but nearly any kind of human activity is prohibited, states Vedenin. As a result a numerous of species that are typically uncommon or decreasing, such as the cod fish, are thriving.

Coming Issues

Anywhere warfare has happened in the last century, nearby oceans are often containing explosives, states Vedenin. Many millions of tonnes of volatile compounds lie in our seas.

The sites of these explosives are insufficiently mapped, partially because of sovereign limits, secret armed forces records and the fact that archives are hidden in historic archives. They create an explosion and safety danger, as well as risk from the ongoing emission of hazardous substances.

As Germany and additional nations embark on removing these remains, scientists aim to safeguard the habitats that have established in their vicinity. In the Bay of Lübeck explosives are presently being removed.

Researchers recommend substitute these iron structures originating from munitions with some safer, various harmless objects, like possibly man-made habitats, suggests Vedenin.

He currently wishes that what occurs in Lübeck sets a model for replacing habitats after explosive extraction elsewhere – because also the most damaging armaments can become framework for ocean ecosystems.